Means for pumping liquids.



T I x PATENTEDMAR.13,1906. J. E. STARR. MEANS: FOR PUMPING LIQUIDS.

APPLI'OATIOH FILED APRQN, 1905.

8. R .5 1 8 8 WJ; J! I [a Q, m w 5 a w fi fx w 1 1 I W1TNESS ES.-

A froze/v15 Y.

4' have invented certain new and useful I'm-.-

' zen ofthe United States, resid" PATENT omen 4 i E NS "FOR" humerus; L oulbe. f

- e it known that I, JOHN E. STARR, a-eitiin New York, in the county and State of ew York,

provementsin Means for Pumping Liquilds .t, eV

which areNear their. Boiling-Points an Like ;.and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and-exact description of the 1 o invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art' to which it appertains to make and use the'same. v

My invention means 'for pumping liquids w are neartheir'boiling points; and my inven-' tion conslsts in means for preventing mter- 1 ference with .the operation of the pump through accumulation of as therein;

The apparatus herein escribed is particu- 2 o larly intended for handling strong aqua-amlarlyin'absorption re 'gerating systems.

monia in refrigeratin systems, and particuf The. object of my'invention is to permit pumping of liquids near their boiling-points,

2 5 and particularly 1 strong warm; solutlo-nsof o valves.

, shows diagrammatically the use in sue a ammonia, ,without the pump getting gas- I bound.

I will no "proceed to describe my inven-.

tion in whic ap aratus constructed and ar- 3o ranged in accor ance with my invention'is illustrated diagrammatically and will then point out the novel features in said claims.

. In said drawings, Figure 1 shows diagram matically my invention applied to a'pump- 3 5 ing s stem comprising a pump the-piston of whic constitutes a valve thereof. Fi 2 pumpin system ofa pump having positivelyactuate .In dew-110mg m j invention I will describe it'as employed for'handling strong warm solutions of ammonia iI1 Ief1flge I8,tif1g systems.

- From such description the application of the 5 invention to other. uses will be apparent.

' I n absorption refrigerating systems and the like the strong aqua-ammonia as with-- 'drawn from the absorber-is-g'enerally .at a;

temperature very close to its boiling-point.

.50. In pum ing such a fluid, if-the pump emas; suction-valves, thepressure 1n- 1 the" urnp-cylinder durin the inlet or suction ft q plpy d e isnecessarily 'slig tly lower than the pressurebetween said valves and ,the source ofsupply, owing to the resistance caused bythe valves themse1ves, friction infthe 'pasrelates to impljpvements in e the latter gas-escape valves and puppet inlet i n -e.V.a orated Patented March 13, 1906.

sages, etc, and this difference in'pressure, though sli ht, may beisuflicient to cause boilthe i uid in said cylinder. The -gas so om 'the'solution occupies space in t e cylinder to the exclusion of the liquid.

Such boiling is facilitated by the heat'conducted from the"ste am-cyl1nder by "which. such umps are customarily operated thrqplgh.

the plston-rod to the pump-cylinder.

during the qompression or-pumping stroke the gas is drlven into the layer of ammonia nearest to the piston, makingthe. liquid there stronger thanthe average of the incoming aqua-ammonia, and .as such liquid near the main the clearance-space in the pump is stronger thanthe inlet aqua-ammonia, and

- during the'next" succeeding suction-stroke and consequent reduction-of pressure gas evaporates from such liquid left in the clearpistonis the last driven out the aqua-am'nioance-space, evaporation from-this source cosources mentioned to' interfere withthe'operation of the pump. Such gas tends to. accu' mulate to'such an extent as to reduce the pumping of the liquid at all, the piston work mg back and forth ineflectively. f Cooling the operatmg withevaporation from the other aqua-ammonia between the absorber and the pump is uneconomical and undesirable.- Thisdifiiculty -t. e.,. collection of gas inthe pump has interferediheretoforewith the use in absorption refrigerating'ap, aratu's of aqua-ammonia of the strength t at would give the best results. To overcome this difli- 'culty, I provide an e ualizing' or gas-esca e passagefconnectingt e' pump with thea sorber or otherv chamber or'receptacle con taining the strong aqua-ammonia, said pas-'- sagepreferabl connected to the s ace in said absorber or c amber-above the. evel of-the liquid. 'The pump is provided with-means for opening thiseqpalizmg' or gas-escape pass sage at or about t liquid into the pumpingecylinder begins, and sald passage therefore serves to (prevent-suction upon the entering liquid, sai ing into the'pum to return? to san absorber or chamber any gas which may collect in the pump. I.preferably employ apump having a mechanic,

ally-operated suction valve or valves, which.

may with advantage be the piston itself, may also employ pumps having suction-open ated inlet-valves. 1

e. time-when the inflow of gravity, and-a so serves.

taneously by the .piston and the liquid is are controlled by automatically 0 erated said ' Referring now to the accom anying drawin s, and at first'more particu arly to Fig. 1,

1 esignates an absorber or other chamber or receptacle from which the aqua-ammonia to' be pumped is drawn. 2 designates the pipe conveying the aqua-ammonia from said vessel. 3 desi nates a pump located-below the level of the 'quid in the chamber or absorber 1, and 4 designates the equalizing or gasesca e passage.

T e pump shown is of simple construction,

comprising a cylinder *5, having dischargeports 6 at its two ends and havin also cen-.

tral inlet-ports 7. The piston 8 o the pump the same time any as in said liquid or in the cylinder flows .out t ough the balancing-passage 4 and is returned to the vessel 1. Since ports 7 and 10 are opened simultaneously, the operation of the ump does not cause suction such as will resu t in evaporation of the ammonia. During the following or pumping stroke the ports 7 and 10 are closed simulforced out through the discharge-ports 6 and discharge-pipe 18. These operations take place successively and alternately in the two ends of the cylinder, the liquid being forced out at one end of the cylinder while piston is moving to. ermit inflowof liquid into the other end 0 the cylinder.

I have. shown the cylinder as provided with puppet discharge-valves 11, but obviously any suitable type of discharge-valve may be employed.

In Fig. 2 I show a pumping system which is similar except that the pump issomewhat different. Said pump is provided with puppet admission-valves 12, operated automatically in the ordinary manner, and instead of causing the piston to open and close the gasescape port two such ports, one at each end of the cylinder, are provided. Said ports valves. Various types of valves an valvegear'therefor may be provided. The articular mechanism illustrated comprises s 'devalves 13, controlling the gas-escape ports 10, said valves connected to a valve-rod 14, provided with tappets 15, arranged to be ac tuated by an arm 16 on the piston-rod 17 of the um When the piston nears the lefthan en of its stroke, said arm 16 encounters one of the tappets and moves the valverod 14, so as to open. the left-hand port 10 and close the right-hand port 10, and, conversely, when the piston in its opposite movement nears the right-hand endof its stroke its arm 16 encounters the other ta pet, shifting valves 13, so that the left-han port 10 is closed and the ri ht-hand port 10 o ened.

My invention esides being app 'cable to the pumping of liquids which are near their boiling-points is also applicable to the pumping of volatile liquids or other liquids charged with gas or carrying such quantities of gas or air that agpump o crating thereon, as such pumps have usual y been arranged before, is apt to get gas-bound.

It is obvious that my invention is not limited to the particular types of pump illustrated, but is independent of the particular type of pump employed. I do not limit myself therefore to the particular details of construction and arrangement herein'illustrated and described.

What I claim is- 1. The combination, with a source of supply of liquid to be (pumped, of a pump having an inlet connecte to such source 0 supply,

and an equalizing-passage connecting said.

pump to said source of supply and serving to return thereto gas which accumulates in the pump.

2. The combination, with a source of supply of liquid to be umped, of -a pum having an inlet connecte to such source 0 supply, and having also a gas-escape port at the top ofits cylinder, connected to said source of supply, said pump comprising automatic means for closing said port during the pumping stroke. v I

3. The combination, with a source of supply of liquid to be (pumped, of a pum having an inlet connecte to such source 0 supply, and an equalizing-passage connecting sa1d pump to said source of supply ahd serving to return thereto gas which accumulates in the pump, said pump comprising automatic means for closing said passage during the pum ing stroke and for permitting escape of gas t erethrough prior to such closing.

4. The combination with a source of sup ply of liquid to be pumped, of a pump having an inlet and gas-escape ports the former connected to said source of supply, the latter likewise connected tosaid source of supply and adapted to return thereto gas which accumulates within the pump, said pump comrising automatic means for optenin said inet-port to permit entrance of 'qui and for opening said gas-escape port to permit escape 0 gas within the pump, and for closing said ports. a

5. The combination with a pump com- .prising a pumping cylinder and piston, said cylinder having inlet and gas-escape ports arranged to be uncovered by said piston near one end of its stroke, said gas-escape port located at the top of the cylinder, of a source of supplyof liquid to be pumped, such source of supply connected to said inlet-port and the the level of such pump-cylinder, said escape,-

port also connected to said source of supply. 6. In refrigerating apparatus, 'the combination with an absorber or other receptacle containing a ua-ammonia at or near its boiling-point, 0 a pump having an inlet connected tosuch absorber or receptacle, and an equalizingassage connecting said pump to such absor er or receptacle, said pump comprising automatic means for opening and closinlgnsaid equalizing-passage. I

7. refrigerating apparatus, the combination with an absorber or other receptacle containing aqua-ammonia at or near its boiling point, of a pump having a central inlet connected to such absorber or receptacle, and having also a central gas-escape port, the

piston ofsaid pump arranged to open and close said inletand gas-escape port, and an equalizing-passage connecting said gas-escaple port wlth said absorber or receptacle. testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of-two witnesses. 1

' JOHN E. STARR. Witnesses:

'H. M. MARBLE, J. W. SINNoTT. 

